Previous“Earthrace” Currently in Redondo Beach, CA on World Tour (Visit this link)
The 78’ wave piercing trimaran “Earthrace” has made it across the Pacific from New Zealand to California, burning nothing but “biofuel” according to a recent issue of the New York Times. The $2.4 million Kevlar and carbon fiber boat is powered by twin MerCruiser/Cummins QSC-540 diesel engines driving through ZF marine gears. The engines were chosen because of their high horsepower to weight ratio, according to the Earthrace website. MerCruiser/Cummins and ZF donated their equipment for the project.
The boat is designed to “pierce” right through waves rather than riding completely over them. The vessel carries 2500 gallons of biofuel and has a top speed of 45 knots with a light load and is designed to run at 35 knots cruise. The boats is brainchild of Pete Bethune, from New Zealand, who has poured his life’s savings and mortgaged his house to fund his project, according to his website.
Bethune says he has two goals: 1) to beat the speed record for a powerboat in a circumnavigation of 75 days, set in 1998 by a British boat called the Cable & Wireless Adventurer, according to the Times. 2) To promote the concept of using biofuel in engines of all sorts, including marine.
According to Bethune’s website the fuel for the boat can be made with salvaged french fry grease, refined soybean oil, hard fat from animals such as sheep, cattle and hogs – and he said in a TV interview on the website, human fat through liposuction. According to the Times the boat refueled in Hawaii on biodiesel made from “the drippings of cruiser liners’ deep fryers.”
The boat is making a tour of the US and should be visiting a town near you on the coast or Great Lakes in the next 6 to 9 months, so long as the project stays afloat financially.
For more information and to visit a terrific website, www.earthrace.net.
Submitted by: mhodgdon
Hits: 71
Added: Thu Sep 28 2006
